'Les Miz' Singing to be Filmed LIve? and Other Stuff from Hugh Jackman Interview
'Les Miz' Singing to be Filmed LIve? and Other Stuff from Hugh Jackman Interview
#1'Les Miz' Singing to be Filmed LIve? and Other Stuff from Hugh Jackman Interview
Posted: 9/22/11 at 8:27pm
From a promotional piece on 'Real Steel':
(snip)
Hugh told me he would like to do two or three Sunday night shows while he’s in London filming Tom Hooper’s version of the musical Les Miserables, which begins shooting in March, with plans to rehearse in the capital in January and February. Hooper is keeping his options open about whether the cast will pre-record songs.
‘There’s the option of recording live or lip-synching and I’ve been down the lip-synching route with the video of Oklahoma!’ Hugh told me.
‘I think singing live might work better with this, but Tom won’t make a decision just yet.’
Hooper is assembling his own version of the screenplay and overseeing the casting of other key roles, having already decided on Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and possibly Helena Bonham Carter.
Reports about Emma Watson playing Cosette are incorrect. She won’t be doing the film.
Hooper’s also looking for 17 and 18-year-olds to play the student revolutionaries — not actors in their 20s.
Hugh hopes to work with Hooper for four or five days next month in London to refine the Jean Valjean character he’ll play in Les Mis.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2040804/BAZ-BAMIGBOYE-Francesca-Annis-sing-Ladies-Who-Lunch-number.html#ixzz1YjMQi5xW
#2'Les Miz' Singing to be Filmed LIve? and Other Stuff from Hugh Jackman Interview
Posted: 9/22/11 at 8:30pmWhether they 'sing live' or not, it won't be used in the final pic. Promise.
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#2'Les Miz' Singing to be Filmed LIve? and Other Stuff from Hugh Jackman Interview
Posted: 9/22/11 at 8:30pmHE HAS SPOKEN
#3'Les Miz' Singing to be Filmed LIve? and Other Stuff from Hugh Jackman Interview
Posted: 9/22/11 at 8:32pmHe sure has a big mouth! Hasn't 90% of the rumor mill been generated by him? :)
#4'Les Miz' Singing to be Filmed LIve? and Other Stuff from Hugh Jackman Interview
Posted: 9/22/11 at 8:36pm
The actors in the ill-fated film version of THE FANTASTICKS actually sang live and the results are the one redeeming factor about the movie (yes the live vocals were used in the finished product).
Truly, with a musical like EVITA, PHANTOM or now LES MIZ, the fact the the score is almost entirely sung really is a detriment for film when the singing is lip synced. There is definitely a disconnect with the audience after about five minutes.
I'm happy to read they are at least taking that into consideration on this film.
beautywickedlover
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/07
#5'Les Miz' Singing to be Filmed LIve? and Other Stuff from Hugh Jackman Interview
Posted: 9/22/11 at 8:38pmSHOOT! I'm really bummed about Emma not being in the film!
jo
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#6'Les Miz' Singing to be Filmed LIve? and Other Stuff from Hugh Jackman Interview
Posted: 9/22/11 at 9:06pm
Glad to see that Hugh's Back on Broadway show will be enhanced further - I am seeing that one 
Re lip-synching or recording live -- it won't matter much to Hugh, as he does have a solid musical theatre background, including a sung-through musical (Sunset Boulevard). Interesting how the others would cope with the option of recording the songs live.
Interesting that the name of Geoffrey Rush is not mentioned for possibly the role of Thenardier. Could it be because he was supposed to have signed up for the filmization of Drowsy Chaperone (although it is very early days yet for that project).
Also noteworthy is that Hooper is looking for young people to play young people 
Updated On: 9/22/11 at 09:06 PM
SondheimFan5
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/20/10
#7'Les Miz' Singing to be Filmed LIve? and Other Stuff from Hugh Jackman Interview
Posted: 9/22/11 at 9:20pmI know a lot of The Producers was sung live (except for Uma Thurman and Will Ferrell), and the results are much better. But I can see where it would be difficult to do so, especially if each number was filmed over multiple days - with The Producers so much of it was just the Broadway show on screen (with much of the original cast) it made it easier that way.
Fan2
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/7/04
#8'Les Miz' Singing to be Filmed LIve? and Other Stuff from Hugh Jackman Interview
Posted: 9/22/11 at 9:22pmHugh has never said anything about casting except for Crowe, and he only mentioned him recently after he was officially announced. He's on the promotion rounds for his new movie and he's being asked about this, so it sounds like that was one of the questions.
#9'Les Miz' Singing to be Filmed LIve? and Other Stuff from Hugh Jackman Interview
Posted: 9/22/11 at 9:44pmSure if you want the cast's voices to be wrecked before you even finish the film...
jo
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#10'Les Miz' Singing to be Filmed LIve? and Other Stuff from Hugh Jackman Interview
Posted: 9/22/11 at 9:50pm
>>>He sure has a big mouth! Hasn't 90% of the rumor mill been generated by him? :)<<<
He has only talked about his own involvement and the possible filming date. Not on casting- when he was caught on video in Toronto - he said he will be Valjean but that he has no idea on who else might be in the movie.
chewy5000
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/1/09
#11'Les Miz' Singing to be Filmed LIve? and Other Stuff from Hugh Jackman Interview
Posted: 9/22/11 at 10:24pmThis will be horrible.
willep
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/08
#12'Les Miz' Singing to be Filmed LIve? and Other Stuff from Hugh Jackman Interview
Posted: 9/22/11 at 10:43pmYeah, he hasn't been starting any of the rumors as far as I remember. That being said, I, too, am bummed about Emma...I thought she was the most interesting piece of casting, and the one I was looking forward to the most.
#13'Les Miz' Singing to be Filmed LIve? and Other Stuff from Hugh Jackman Interview
Posted: 9/23/11 at 12:25am
Honestly, I'd rather they sing it live since there's apparently going to be dialogue now. I've never seen a movie musical where the switch from dialogue to the pre-recorded studio track wasn't completely jarring and distracting. Moulin Rouge is one of the worst offenders.
Honestly, with all the technology these days how have they not found a way to solve this problem?
#14'Les Miz' Singing to be Filmed LIve? and Other Stuff from Hugh Jackman Interview
Posted: 9/23/11 at 1:51am
Filming the cast singing live would make this film ten times better no matter what.
Of course, there is always the possibility that people will be put off by shaky vocals or random imperfections, but like the scratchy noises a live string ensemble makes and the gentle breathing of live musicians heard in a brass section, it's that human detail that makes musical theatre come alive when experienced live upon a stage. I always get the feeling a lot of people expect INCREDIBLE WOW singing and HIGH ass notes as a necessity in any Les Mis musical experience, but I've always considered the unpolished sound of soundboards and boots and their unmistakable rawness, as well as the vocal ticks typical of live performances incredibly appealing.
The removal of what makes sound believable and authentic in Hollywood films and pop music would only be adding to the already jarring manner in which musicals tend to play out on film. The film version of Evita would have been so much more satisfying had they shot all the singing live. The tiny parts of that film that ARE shot with live singing sound incredible and brings us closer to the character and moment. I know Madonna is shot singing bits of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" live and they stand out amongst the reverb-happy, highly polished pre-recorded dubs, injecting a raw power that has a remarkable way of coming across intimately, if only for a few seconds, anyway.
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